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Curlew or Whimbrel please, Scotland (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Ravenwing
- Start date
tom baxter
Well-known member
Not 100% sure due to photo quality, but I think its a curlew because whimbrel do not have white underwings like it appears to me in the second photo.
Samuel Perfect
Well-known member
Both Whimbrel and Curlew have a similar pale underwing Tom. Hudsonian Whimbrel on the other hand, does have a darker underwing but only occurs very rarely here in the UK. It's got a fairly obvious/striking facial pattern in pic 1 and a bill that wouldn't look unusual on a Whimbrel but there is the occasional Curlew which can show similar extremes. I'll still sway towards Whimbrel though.
Larry Sweetland
Formerly 'Larry Wheatland'
looks more like a whimbrel to me too, for reason's described by Samuel
tom baxter
Well-known member
I suppose the more reliable feature in this photo is the facial pattern which I agree is good for whimbrel. I have never before seen a euraisian curlew and have seen thousands of whimbrel. I have never seen a whimbrel with a "white" underwing. They are normally golden brown, I cross referenced myself with my stokes field guide as well as photos online. Stokes describes whimbrel flight as "any white underneath is confined to the central belly." Not that you can reliably tell at all what the underwing of this bird looks like in this photo.
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chris butterworth
aka The Person Named Above
As the first photo is rather 'burnt out' the facial pattern isn't reliable but the bill, although looking rather long, is more like Eur. Whimbrel. Rather straight at the basal end and then downcurved at the other. Eur. Curlew tends to be more evenly curved along its length.
Mark Lew1s
My real name is Mark Lewis
Whimbrels in Europe do have white underwings - unlike their American counterparts (what we Brits would call 'Hudsonian whimbrel').
tom baxter
Well-known member
ahh thank you, sorry for the confusion.
chris butterworth
aka The Person Named Above
The pale underwing, along with a white rump and 'wedge' up the back are what separates Eur. Whimbrel from Hudsonian ( the one found in the New World ).
Nutcracker
Stop Brexit!
Are the two pics the same, or different individuals?
It's hard to be sure with the pic quality, but I'm thinking Whimbrel for #1 and Curlew for #2.
It's hard to be sure with the pic quality, but I'm thinking Whimbrel for #1 and Curlew for #2.
Ravenwing
Well-known member
The same bird, there was a second bird but it was further from me.
chris butterworth
aka The Person Named Above
Whimbrel have a distinctive 7 note whistle that's unlike any call of Curlew.
Ravenwing
Well-known member
As said it was an unusual call for me and not the Curlew noises that I am used to.
Nutcracker
Stop Brexit!
OK thanks! On balance I think I'd favour Whimbrel, but it's a tough call without sharper pics.
Jeff Hopkins
Just another...observer
I'll cast another vote for whimbrel.
Boro Birder
Well-known member
I'd go for Whimbrel for bill size and face.
Damian
Damian
